Love and Masks
by Iceprincess5686
Summary: Raphael finds friendship and more with a woman who also wears a mask... Rated M for adult themes, violence, and character death. I don't own anything TMNT (2014, 16) or Batman. Please Read and Review, I will take any and all suggestions and comments with gratitude!
1. Contact

Raphael finds friendship and more with a woman who also wears a mask...

Rated M for adult themes, violence, and character death. I don't own anything TMNT or Batman. Please Read and Review, I will take any and all suggestions and comments with gratitude!

_Chapter Key:__ ~Memories~ ___Present

_~He had been with her every night for a month straight. With the warm air, even for late September, to encouraged them, they took to the rooftops. Laughter filled the night as they raced and jumped over alleys, drawing the occasional passerby's attention to search for them from the ground. _

_As their feet touched on the bank roof on Forth and Main his arm shot out and wrapped around her waist, drawing a happy laugh from her panting lungs. "Hhhhey!" Turning in his embrace, her arms wrapped around his shoulders as their masked eyes met. "I thought we were training?" ~_

His fist connected with the punching bag again, over and over, blood and sweat splattering across the dojo floor.

_~A smirk spread across his wide face, his hold upon her tightening. "I've been watchin' dat ass for an hour. T'ink I've earned a reward." _

"_Oh…" She braced her hands upon his plastron and faked an offended expression. "…a reward. I'm not sure what kind of girl you think I am?"~_

His hands were going to be sore for days after this, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Wraps worn thin and torn now swung from his wrists with each blow.

_~Undeterred, his arms tightened again, pulling her against his plastron. "De kind dat run rooftops and kicks serious ass in tight leather." His smirk softened into a smile. "You're a beautiful woman M.B., inside and out." ~_

Stepping back on his left, he spun and delivered a powerful round house kick. The back swung back, hit the wall behind it as the bracket holding from the ceiling whined in protest.

_~"Hm…" She smiled, her arms once again wrapping around him. "…I'm glad you've got the whole picture." Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to his lips. "Stay."_

_The ridge over his right eye quirked as he leaned back and met her gaze. "I'm right 'ere babe."_

"_No." She pulled him in, playing with the tales of his mask. "Not just right now." Their eyes were locked intensely. "Tonight, stay with me until the dawn."~_

As the bag swung towards him for the second him his control run out and his fist connected with its surface again, tearing it from the beam.

Winded he lurched forward, catching his balance with open hands upon his knees. His attention moved from the broken bag leaking sand onto the dojo floor at the sound of a clearing throat. Leo stood in the open doorway, his arms crossed. "Raphael, it's time we talk."


	2. Table Talk

Raphael finds friendship and more with a woman who also wears a mask...

Rated M for adult themes, violence, and character death. I don't own anything TMNT or Batman. Please Read and Review, I will take any and all suggestions and comments with gratitude!

Chapter Key _~Memories~ _Present

Raphael, for once in their lives, hadn't protested Leo's command. Instead following his brother silently through their lair and into the kitchen. As he set to work ripping what remained of his wraps away and cleaning his torn hands in the sink, he knew he Leo watched from the table.

He knew his brother's keen eyes were taking note the obvious outward signs. The discoloration of his skin was from poor eating the past weeks. He'd allowed his shell to become scraped and had done a poor job of cleaning it. And then there was the slight tremble his shoulders were refusing to hide from the lack of restful sleep he'd been getting.

Turning Raphael took a seat across from Leo with his hands wrapped in layers of paper towel that would later litter his bedroom in torn, bloodied clumps. "Where's Don an' Mike?"

Oldest and leader of the four shrugged. "I sent them to April's. They didn't need to be here, and I'm sure you don't want to share every detail with all of us."

Grunting, Raphael reached beneath the table, retrieving two bottles out of a six pack that his brothers refused to allow in the fridge. Even with Splinter dead two years now, his brothers still didn't believe in letting him chill his beers. As if drinking them warm with stop him. "What makes ya think I'll tell you?"

Raph watched in amazement as Leo took the other bottle, popped the top and took a long drag; he knew how much Leo hated drinking. "Cause we're not leaving his table until you do Raph." With Leo's gaze now on him, he took a swig. "How many messages does this morning's make?"

_This morning's message had been the same as all the others. _

_~He rolled over, reaching for his nightstand at the familiar buzzing that seemed to haunt his dreams lately. As his cleared, the same message stared back at him. "3__rd__ and Linker, rooftop, midnight. Please Raph."~_

Raphael slammed his bottle back, downing it in a single go before wiping his mouth on his forearm. "What difference is it, Leo, hn? It ain't her, she's dead."

~That night he'd received the usual text and gone to meet her, only to find Nightwing in her place. He'd been standing at the edge of the building and turned to him as he approached.

"_M.B. didn't send you the text tonight." He sighed. "There's something she'd want you to know…"~ _

He watched Leo sit his own beer down, a frown spreading as he met his stare. "Do you know for sure?"

"I've seen her grave…" Raph stood, glaring down at him as the chair he'd been sitting in scrapped against the floor. "…an' so have you."

Being the oldest came with its pitfalls, Raph knew this now. It had taken him years to see that he didn't want the responsibilities that came with being Leo. He knew Leo was just looking out for him but right now he didn't want him to.

His brother never moved, never raised his voice, just sat there; staring at him. "Look Raph, I wasn't out to piss you off…"

He snarled, his fists clinched and beginning to bleed again. "Well, ya did a piss poor job of that, didn't ya?"

Leo sighed, turning his attention turned to Raph's hands. "You're bleeding again." Their eyes met. "Why don't I wrap them for you?"

"Leave it." He turned, now just barley giving Leo his attention from over his left shoulder. "They'll either dry or I'll deal with it later, right now I don't care."

"All right, whatever you say." Raphael took a step way as Leo decided to ask once more. "Please Raph, just tell me."

Raphael was facing the hallway where their bedrooms were, no intention of answering but something in Leo's voice made him falter. His shoulders fell and he sighed. "Eight in a three-week span Leo, every other night. An' before ya ask, they're always the same. A rooftop, a time, an' a 'please'."

Without waiting for a reply Raphael had left the kitchen, knowing Leo would watch him stagger into his bedroom. Feeling defeated all over again, he collapsed onto his mattress just as a familiar buzzing drew his attention again.

Sighing he reached over his nightstand and retrieved the phone she had given him more than a four years ago. The message that greeted him nearly made his heart skip a beat. "Aurora."


	3. Introductions

Raphael finds friendship and more with a woman who also wears a mask...

Rated M for adult themes, violence, and character death. I don't own anything TMNT or Batman. Please Read and Review, I will take any and all suggestions and comments with gratitude!

Time seemed to stand still for Raphael as he clinched the phone; the single word message glared back at him. _"Aurora." _He shook his head and stood, his heart racing. "It can't be."

Flashback, more than four years before…

Watching from a few feet away as Donatello and Michelangelo celebrated another night's victory, a smirk spread across my face. We'd stumbled upon a street gang ransacking a warehouse on Pike Street and decide to ruin their night. As usual they'd entered a fight that had they been normal humans, would have left them grossly outnumbered 5 to 1.

Fortunately for the criminals, that also meant on occasion a few would find their way out the door, and safe on the street. A note that Leo as always had to point. "Yeah, alright guys not bad, but we did lose a few."

"Did you?"

Turning they found the source of the question standing in the open shipping doors of the warehouse, hauling in three men tied together.

The newcomer was female, around five feet tall and blond. She was dressed in a black corset that exposed her midriff, long elbow length gloves, and dark pants with a pocketed belt. The boots adorning her feet were short and low heeled; perfect for a fight. And she was wearing a mask, piercing blue eyes shone out from behind it.

Without hesitating she march right up to us and met Leo's heavy gaze. "I saw these three running like their lives depended on it; thought I'd pick them up."

He was about to reply with sirens filled the night air. "We should discuss this somewhere else."

She nodded and followed as we moved to the shipping doors. "Name the place."

Leo turned, facing us with his back to the building. "The roof." Our eyes met. "Raphael, help 'our friend' here."

Our eyes met and she smiled, pulling a grapple gun from her belt. "Not on the first date."

We watched as she made the roof and we followed close behind. When everyone had stepped away from the edge and out of sight of those on the ground, Leo stepped in front of her, and his frown deepened. "This is a dangerous side of town and a risky game you chosen to play, Miss…"

She smiled. "Mockin' Bird, but my friends and 'the Bat' have taken to calling me M.B."

Mike gasped. "Whoa, you know Batman?"

She nodded. "What other club would I be out here dressed like this for?"

I watched Leo lean closer, to try and intimidate her. "Don't let me catch you out here again, or the police will have your real name Miss."

A laugh erupted out of her and I nearly fell out of my shell; I'd never seen any human give Leo such a time. Aside from Casey, anyway. Amazingly, somehow Mike managed to keep quiet. She smiled as he stepped back still glaring. "Sorry, but was that a threat? That's adorable."

A smirk spread across Leo's face and he motioned Mikey forward. "You've asked for it, lady. Take 'er down, Mike."

Poor Mikey took on a conflicted expression, his eyes darting between them. "Dude, you don't really want me to…aaahhh!"

I couldn't help the amused laugh that escaped me. In the time it had took Mike to almost pose his question, she'd walked up to him, catching him completely off guard and then twisted his right arm into a hold.

Donatello switched hands holding his bo and shook his head. "She didn't waste any time."

Then she did the unthinkable; she leaned forward and kissed his right check. "Don't let your guard down, even if the opponent looks as sweet as me."

Leo, who had watched the exchange with a range of emotions from disappointment to awe, met her gaze with a nod as she released Mikey. "Alright, so you're not a novice, but Michelangelo is the gentlest among us." His eyes met mine. "Let's see how you do against Raph."

Knowing Leo was trying to prove a point to this girl, I reached for my sai and stepped closer, my eyes locked with her own. "I won't be as easy to distract as Mike."

She shrugged, freeing the batons strapped to her waist. "We'll see." A smile spread across her face. "Come an' get me."


End file.
